27 June 2011

Earlier this month while I was in Turkey, I went back to Magnesia on the Maeander, one of the 2 ancient cities in western Turkey named Magnesia. This time I discovered a particular attraction in the ruins that I had missed a year earlier: the communal toilets.

A nearby display in English explained thus:

The Public Lavatory (Latrine) 4.-6. Century A.D.A vestibule with a pool; in the second room two fountains, benchs [sic] for sitting along the three sides for appr. 20-25 pupil [people], run-off water to cleanse before the bench and running water under the seating to carry refuse from there. Excavated 1993-94; partly restored 1995.

I suspect the top of the bench was modern, because only 2 of the seats had full openings, while the rest were just depressions.

The accompanying picture on the display showed several men using the facility.